Awning operator



Aug. L 1950 c. B. ZIMMERMAN AWNING OPERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1947 A tta may:

L 1950 c. B. ZIMMERMAN 2,517,270

AWNING OPERATOR Filed June 27, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 UEzmEbm B, Zmmarmam A no r'neys 195G c. B. ZIMMERMAN 2,517,270

AWNING OPERATOR Filed June 27,1947 :5 Sheetg-Sheet s At/m'neys Patented Aug. 1, 1950 r AWNING OPERATOR 3 "fCl in ton B.ZimmermamUnionCitmTenm g t This invention relates to an operator of extremely simple construction providedwith power means for raising or lowering an awningconnectedjthereto. More particularly, it isi an object of the presexit invention to provide an awning operator of extremely simple! construction which will function to efl'ectively raise or lower anawning and wherein the powermeansthereof willfunction additionally as cushioning means for checking the movement of the awning as it approaches either a fully raised or fully lowered position 1 Still another object of the invention-is 'to provide an awning foperatorqhaving separate power means for raising andlowering the awning, and whichlatter power neans will function in conjunction with the {gravity pull on the awning and for providing the 'init'ial jimpetusto start the'awning on its movement towardaelowered position. i 1 Q l, i, in v 1 1,

suua further object of the invention is to provide an awning operator of extremely simple construction which may he quicklyand easily at: tached to conventional awnings already in use and which will function in conjunctionwith conventional mounting framelpo'rtioris' of anawning. Still another object of the invention is toprovide an awning operator having "manually con-j trolled means for releasing the" operator to enable operation thereof formovement of the awning. from either a raised, to a lowered position or vice Various other objects and advantages of the invention :will hereinafter become more fully apparent irom the followingdescription" of jthe drawings; illustrating j a preferred embodiment thereof ,,and wherein :1

Figure 1' is wn n v Figure Lis a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the Figure 3 is fa vertical sectional view stantially along a plane as indicate by the "up? 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view looking from left torightiof F iguren3;

n a s-i rniguref Figure 6-isaverftieal se iona taken substantially alonga'plane as indicated by Figure '1 1s a vertical sectional view taken Sus 1 front elevatipnal view 1 showing the operator 7, applied to a conventional" window Application time 2 7, 1947, Serial No. 757,589

'1 resins) (olliscwrz) l l 2 stantially along a plane as indicated by the line l -lof ljigure 6; v A

Figure 8 isa view similar to Figure 7, but showing the spring-thereof unwound:

I Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along aplane as indicated by the line 99 of Figure 2, and t Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken tsubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line Ill-l0 of Figure 1 a Referring more specifically t0, the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating one preferred application and use of the invention, hereinafter to bedescribed, the numeral Ill designates generally the upper portion of a window frame, on the outer side of which is mounted an awning, designated generally II and including a strip of awning fabric [2, the bottom edge of which is turned back upon itself to form an elongated loop lawman extends the width thereof, and in which the intermediate or bightportion of a substantially U-shaped awning frame member [4 is loosely disposed. The U-shaped frame member I4 is provided with corresponding legs [5, which 5 extend inwardly fromthe ends of said intermediate portion toward the side rails of the window frame Ill and each of which terminates in an outturnedterminalj portion 16 which is "journalled ina bearing ll, one of which bearings is fastened to the outer side of each side rail of the frame In. The parts previously described areofv conventional construction and the frame is adapted to swing on the bearings I! as its pivot when the'awning H is moving to or from a raised or lowered position; said awning being shown in Figures 1 and 3m alowered position. Whereas it is generally conventional to secure the'upperedge of the awning material 12 tothe topirail of the outer side of the window frame above the window opening and to provide pull cords for raising :the awning, the present invention provides an awningjoperator, designated generally l8, to a portion ofiwhich-the upper endor edge} of the awning material It? is securely as e te -a, v a

The"awiiing"operator l8 includes two housing members l9 and 20 provided; .with corresponding brackets. by means of which said housing members may be attached to'the outer side of the windowfra'meflll, .on opposite sides of the opening. thereof, or to the underside of an overhanging ledge 22', as (illustrated, in the drawings, for fixedly supportingthe, awning operator I8 relativelyto the upper portionand outer side of the window frame lg.

As best illustrated in Figure 6, each of the housing members I9 and 2!! includes an outer wall 23 provided with an inwardly projecting annular flange 24, which is suitably secured thereto or formed integral therewith, and a demountable inner wall 25, which bears against the inner edge of the flange 24, when in an applied position, as seen in Figure 6. The walls 23 and 25 are provided with ears extending to beyond the flange 24 and said portion of the Wall 25 is provided with openings 26 for loosely receiving bolts 21, the headed ends of which bear against the outer side of the wall 25 and the threaded shank ends of which engage threaded openings 28 in said ears of the wall 23. The walls 23 and 25 are provided with complementary, centrally disposed antifriction bearing openings 29 and 30, respectively, which are disposed, respectively, externally and internally of the housings or on corresponding sides or said walls.

A shaft 3| extends through and is journalled in the bearings 29 and 33 of each housing, and said shafts are provided with inner threaded ends 32, which projectinwardly a short distance from the inner sides of said housings, each of which is adapted to threadedly engage an end of an internally threaded sleeve 33. The threaded portions'32 engage the adjacent ends of the sleeves 33 and said adjacent ends are provided with fixedly connected ratchet wheels 34 which are disposed adjacent the inner sides of said housings l3 and 20. The adjacent ends of the sleeves 33 engage the threaded ends of 'a rod or shaft 35 which extends therebetween and around which the upper edge of the awning material i2 is wound and fixedly secured, in any suitable manner, as best seen in Figure 3. It will thus be readily apparent that the shafts3| of the two housings l9 and 2B are connected in keyed relationship to one another by the shaft or rod 35, but may berreadily detached from one another by unscrewing said rod from either of the coupling sleeves 33, after first demounting the housing, adjacent which said sleeve or coupling is disposed from the window frame or ledge 22.

As best seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the shaft 3| of the housing l9 has a hub 36, fixed thereto and disposed between the bearings 29 and 30 and to which is secured by a fastening'3l, the inner end of a coiled, clock-type spring 38, which is wound therearound from its inner .to its outer end in a clockwise direction, looking toward the inner edge of said spring, or as seen in Figures '7 and 8. The outer end of the spring 38 is anchored by a fastening39 to a'portion of the housing'fiange 24. Thexspring 38 is loaded when Wound, as seen in Figure 7, so that said spring in exerting its normal tendency to unwind will revolve the drum 36 and shaft 3|, thereby turning the rod or shaft 35 and the other shaft 3| in a clockwise direction, looking from right to left of Figure 1, or as seen in Figures '7 and 8, for winding the awning material |2 on said rod 35 to raise the awning H and to cause the frame M to swing upwardly and'to a position substantially against and parallel to the outer side of the window frame I0.

The shaft 3| of the housing is provided'with a similar hub, fixed thereto and to which'is secured the inner end of a similar but weaker coiled spring 4!), partially illustrated in Figures 2 and 10,which is wound thereon in the opposite direction and which is fixed at its outer end to the flange '24 of said housing 20, and so that said spring 4|] tends to rotate the shafts 3| and 35 in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation in response to the unwinding of the spring 38 and for unwinding the awning material |2 from the rod or shaft 35. The Spring 4|! is illustrated in a wound condition in Figure 10, as it would appear when the awning frame I4 is raised and when the spring 38 is unwound, as seen in Figure 8.

As best illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the inner walls of each of the housings 9 and 20, mount alever4| which, is pivotally supported relatively thereto, adjacent one end thereof by apivot 42 and which is provided with a laterally projecting V pawl 43, adjacent its opposite, free end for engagement between the teeth of the ratchet wheel 34, which is disposed on the outer side of said wall 25. Each of the walls 25 has a leaf spring 44 anchored thereto at one end thereof and which bears against the-lever 4|, mounted by said wall, for urging the pawl 43 of said lever 4| into engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth. Each of the levers 4| is provided at its ,upper end with an eye 45, for connection with a flexible member. The lever 4|, carried by the housing 2|], has a flexible member or cord 46 connected to its eye45 and extending .rearwardlytherefrom and through an opening 41 in the top rail of the window'fr'a'me l0. One end of a flexible member 43 is fastened to the eye 45 of the lever of housing l3 and extends rearwardly therefrom and is trained around a pulley 49 supported bya bracket 50, secured to the top rail of the window frame 1.0 and extends longitudinally across the outer side vof said top rail of the window frame andloosely through a plurality of guide eyes 5| which project outwardly therefrom, and inwardly'through theborell, as best seen in Figuresz and 9. Accordingly, it will be readily apparent that the two lines 43 and 48 may be grasped {simultaneously from the inner side of the window'frame I0 and by exerting a pull thereon, both of the pawls 43 will be .re-' tracted out of engagement with the ratchetwheel 34 by swinging movement of the levers 4| against the action of the springs 44 and so as to release the shafts 3| and shaft or rod 35' for rotation as a unit. p I

Assuming that the awning is in a lowered position, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, when thus disposed, the stronger spring 38, contained within the housing I9, will be fully wound, asillu's'trated in Figure 7, and the weaker, spring 45willbe un-,

Wound. Accordingly, if a pullis exertedon the two flexible members 46 and 48. for retracting lthe pawls 43 out of engagement with the ratchet wheels'34, as previously described. the fully wound stronger spring 38 will be thereby released and, permitted to unwind, thus turning'the" hub '36 and shaft3'l, to which it'is connectedina clockwise direction, as seen in Figures '7 and i8; for turning the rod '35 and othershaft'3 lfin the's'ame direction. This will cause the flexible awning material l2 to be wound onto the rod or shaft 35 and in winding thereon, the material [2 will be drawn upwardly to swing the awning frame |4f amount of power required to fbeexerted thereby will likewisebe diminished. Thewea'ker spring 40 will be rewound while theawning isthiis being raised, but'the effect thereof will not beof the power afforded by the stronger spring 38 will be sufficient to carry the awning to a fully raised position and with the resistance of the spring til functioning as a check or brake on the shafts 3| and 35, as the awning approaches its fully raised position and when the spring 38 has substantially completed its unwinding movement. The cords 46 and 48 are then released to permit the pawls 43 to engage the ratchet wheels 34 for latching the awning in a raised position.

To lower the awning II, the pawls 43 are again retracted from engagement with the ratchet wheels 34 in the manner as previously described, permitting the wound weaker spring 40 to exert an initial impetus upon the shafts 31 and 35 for turning them in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figures '7 and 8, for unwinding the awning material l2 from the rod or shaft 35. The awning material I2 is sufficiently stiff so that it will start the frame E4 in its outward and downward swinging movement and will augment the gravity pull on the frame l4 and that exerted by the awning material l2 during the initial stage of movement of the awning H toward a lowered position, and as the power exerted by said weaker spring 40 diminishes, the initial irn' petus afforded thereby plus the gravitational pull exerted by the awning material [2 and frame 14, will be sufiicient to carry the awning il back to its fully lowered position of Figures 1 and 3, and with the stronger spring 38 being rewound during this movement from its position of Figure 8 to its position of Figure 7. As the awning H approaches a fully lowered position, the substantially rewound spring 38 will act as a check to cushion the final downward movement thereof, and as soon as the awning is in its position of Figures 1 and 3, the cords 45 and 48 are released to permit the pawls 43 to engage the ratchet wheels 34 for latching the shafts 3i and 35 against rotation.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an awning operator, in combination with an awning including a substantially U-shaped frame adapted to be pivotally connected to the surface adjacent which the awning is disposed, and a length of awning material having a bottom edge portion fixed to the intermediate portion of said frame, said operator including spaced housing members mounted above the pivots of the awning frame, a shaft extending therebetween and journalled therein, the opposite, upper end of the awning material being secured to said shaft, a strong coiled spring disposed in one of said housings and having its inner end anchored to the shaft and its outer end fixed to a portion of the housing for rotating the shaft in one direction for winding said awning material thereon, and a weaker coiled spring contained in the other housing and having its inner end fixed to the shaft and wound therearound in the opposite direction and anchored at its outer endto said last mentioned housing for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction for unwinding the awning material therefrom.

2. An awning operator as in claim 1, normally engaged latch means for holding said shaft against rotation, and means manually operable from a position remote from said latch means for disengagement of the latch means, said shaft being formed of sections including a short shaft section journalled in each of said housings, a longer, intermediate shaft section disposed therebetween and on which said awning material is secured and wound, and coupling means for connecting the adjacent ends of the first mentioned and intermediate shaft sections, at least one of said coupling means being connected to a part of said latch means and forming the connection of the latch means and shaft.

3. In a winding and unwinding mechanism for a flexible member, a shaft to which one end of the flexible member is securable and on which said flexible member, is windable, means for journaling said shaft adjacent its ends, power means of different strengths respectively associated with the two shaft ends and anchored to the journal means thereof for rotating the shaft in different directions for winding and unwinding the material relatively thereto, and manually releasable, normally engaged latch means for retaining the shaft against rotation at either extremity of its movement in response to the power means;

4. A winding and unwinding mechanism comprising a shaft to which one end of a flexible material to be wound and unwound is securable, means for journaling the ends of said shaft, a spring motor anchored to each of said journal means and connected to the shaft and journalled thereby, said spring motors being of different strengths and oppositely acting upon the shaft and tending to turn it in opposite directions, and manually releasable, normally engaged latch means for retaining the shaft against rotation in either direction when the latch means is in an engaged position.

5. A winding and unwinding mechanism as in claim 4, said shaft being formed of end sections connected to said spring motor means and an intermediate section fastened to the material, coupling means for detachably coupling the ad- J'acent ends of said end sections to the ends of the intermediate section, and a portion of said latch means being connected to at least one of the coupling means for connecting the latch means to the shaft.

CLINTON B. ZIMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

